Garlic and Onion Bulbs

Ships late summer/early fall. 

This hardneck, marbled purple stripe also comes to Baker Creek Seeds from Dr Jeff Nekola of the University of New Mexico, who shared over 300 varieties with us in 2013. According to Dr. Nekola, the variety was collected in Dubna, Russia by Edward Spaans of The Stinking Rose Farm in Grand Rapids MI. The large to jumbo-sized bulbs have 5 to 6 big outer cloves and a lovely purple blush on the outer wrappers. The variety makes great scapes also and being a late-maturing variety it will work well for extending your scape harvesting season. Sharp, hot garlic flavor and a good shelf-life. Plant individual garlic cloves in the fall, prior to the ground freezing, in well-prepared beds of soil that is rich in organic matter. Plant cloves 1 to 2 inches deep about 8 inches apart making sure that the tip of the clove is pointing up and the footprint of the root is down. In northern climates it may be necessary to cover with mulch prior to the hard freezes of winter and then uncover in spring. Provide adequate irrigation and weed control in order to achieve maximum bulb size. Harvest scapes when they have made one full curl and before becoming erect (can still be used erect however the texture is tougher). Garlic is ready for harvesting when the bulbs are completely filled out and plump. Watch for the bottom two leaves to brown and die back and for the rest of the plant to begin to yellow. Test dig a few bulbs to determine if crop is ready. Discontinue irrigation for about two weeks prior to harvest. Do not pull garlic up by the stalk but lift the garlic by digging with a fork or shovel. Harvested garlic should be spread out or hung away from direct sunlight for two to three weeks to cure (air conditioned location is okay). Make sure curing bulbs have adequate air circulation and are not piled atop of one another.

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White bulbs are liberally blotched and striped in purple, and they can get very large. Well-grown bulbs typically contain 15-20 medium-sized, mild-flavored cloves, which are wrapped in purple-striped skins. This very early soft-neck or artichoke type is ideal for spring planting. It is famously associated with the Gilroy Garlic Festival as this is the variety traditionally grown on farms surrounding the “Garlic Capital of the World.”

Spring-planting garlic: In many climates there is a very short but workable spring planting window for garlic. This crop makes most of its growth in cooler weather; hot soil initiates the bulb formation process, even in very small plants. The challenge is to get the plants growing as early as possible, so that they will be as large as possible when the soil temperature reaches that point. In addition to following the usual recommendations for soil treatment, spring-planted garlic should be sown absolutely as early in late winter or spring as the soil can be worked — as soon as frost is out of the ground and the soil is dry enough to be tilled. Garlic is very frost hardy. Storing the garlic in the fridge for a couple of weeks prior to planting can also help, as the cold treatment gets the cloves rooting as quickly as possible. (It's OK to plant cloves that actually show some root emergence, although planting such sprouted cloves does require extra care.)  Applying a thick organic mulch once the cloves have sprouted can also help, as this cools the soil a bit and allows the plants more growing time. Be sure to give spring-planted garlic the richest possible soil as every day counts when growing in spring!

Ships late summer/early fall.

Limited quantity! ( Allium ampeloprasum) Actually a leek, not a true garlic, but of immense utility nonetheless. Super-large bulbs can easily exceed a half-pound, are comprised of a few very plump cloves. The flavor is all garlic! The gigantic cloves peel easily, giving you a lot of garlic in a hurry. Very useful for large recipes, pickles, etc. An old favorite! Plant individual garlic cloves in the fall, prior to the ground freezing, in well-prepared beds of soil that is rich in organic matter. Plant cloves 1 to 2 inches deep about 8 inches apart making sure that the tip of the clove is pointing up and the footprint of the root is down. In northern climates it may be necessary to cover with mulch prior to the hard freezes of winter and then uncover in spring. Provide adequate irrigation and weed control in order to achieve maximum bulb size. Harvest scapes when they have made one full curl and before becoming erect (can still be used erect however the texture is tougher). Garlic is ready for harvesting when the bulbs are completely filled out and plump. Watch for the bottom two leaves to brown and die back and for the rest of the plant to begin to yellow. Test dig a few bulbs to determine if crop is ready. Discontinue irrigation for about two weeks prior to harvest. Do not pull garlic up by the stalk but lift the garlic by digging with a fork or shovel. Harvested garlic should be spread out or hung away from direct sunlight for two to three weeks to cure (air conditioned location is okay). Make sure curing bulbs have adequate air circulation and are not piled atop of one another.

Ships late summer/early fall.

Porcelain type. This exceptionally cold hardy hardneck type is appreciated for pungent, gourmet flavor. A porcelain type with ivory outer paper and purple streaked inner wrapping around cloves. This top choice culinary variety is easy to peel, however it also boasts a good shelf life of up to 6 months when stored properly. Averages 4-7 cloves per head, makes delicious scapes.

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This robustly flavored soft-neck type is fairly early—a bonus when considering spring planting. Brought from Italy in the early 1900s, Lorz boasts large, rather flat bulbs, strong, hot flavor, good keeping quality, and mostly makes nice large cloves with very few of the small “slivers” often found in a soft-neck type. It also takes warm temperatures better than the usual hard-neck types.

Spring-planting garlic: In many climates there is a very short but workable spring planting window for garlic. This crop makes most of its growth in cooler weather; hot soil initiates the bulb formation process, even in very small plants. The challenge is to get the plants growing as early as possible, so that they will be as large as possible when the soil temperature reaches that point. In addition to following the usual recommendations for soil treatment, spring-planted garlic should be sown absolutely as early in late winter or spring as the soil can be worked — as soon as frost is out of the ground and the soil is dry enough to be tilled. Garlic is very frost hardy. Storing the garlic in the fridge for a couple of weeks prior to planting can also help, as the cold treatment gets the cloves rooting as quickly as possible. (It's OK to plant cloves that actually show some root emergence, although planting such sprouted cloves does require extra care.)  Applying a thick organic mulch once the cloves have sprouted can also help, as this cools the soil a bit and allows the plants more growing time. Be sure to give spring-planted garlic the richest possible soil as every day counts when growing in spring!

Ships late summer/early fall.

(Hardneck) Beautiful white skinned with a hint of pink Porcelain garlic, very productive with an excellent keeping ability. Well adapted to colder regions. Originally from Italy, then brought to Canada in the 1980s. Cloves are very large making it a favorite among chefs. Plant individual garlic cloves in the fall, prior to the ground freezing, in well-prepared beds of soil that is rich in organic matter. Plant cloves 1 to 2 inches deep about 8 inches apart making sure that the tip of the clove is pointing up and the footprint of the root is down. In northern climates it may be necessary to cover with mulch prior to the hard freezes of winter and then uncover in spring. Provide adequate irrigation and weed control in order to achieve maximum bulb size. Harvest scapes when they have made one full curl and before becoming erect (can still be used erect however the texture is tougher). Garlic is ready for harvesting when the bulbs are completely filled out and plump. Watch for the bottom two leaves to brown and die back and for the rest of the plant to begin to yellow. Test dig a few bulbs to determine if crop is ready. Discontinue irrigation for about two weeks prior to harvest. Do not pull garlic up by the stalk but lift the garlic by digging with a fork or shovel. Harvested garlic should be spread out or hung away from direct sunlight for two to three weeks to cure (air conditioned location is okay). Make sure curing bulbs have adequate air circulation and are not piled atop of one another.

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Its snow-white skin bears occasional pink blushing and encloses large, well-formed cloves. An early- to mid-season variety, this soft-neck type is superb for spring planting. The flavor is mild, yet complex and unmistakably garlic. It's an excellent keeper, too! Often considered to be an improved selection of California Early.

Spring-planting Garlic—In many climates there is a very short but workable spring planting window for garlic. This crop makes most of its growth in cooler weather; hot soil initiates the bulb formation process, even in very small plants. The challenge is to get the plants growing as early as possible, so that they will be as large as possible when the soil temperature reaches that point. In addition to following the usual recommendations for soil treatment, spring-planted garlic should be sown absolutely as early in late winter or spring as the soil can be worked — as soon as frost is out of the ground and the soil is dry enough to be tilled. Garlic is very frost hardy. Storing the garlic in the fridge for a couple of weeks prior to planting can also help, as the cold treatment gets the cloves rooting as quickly as possible. (It's OK to plant cloves that actually show some root emergence, although planting such sprouted cloves does require extra care.)  Applying a thick organic mulch once the cloves have sprouted can also help, as this cools the soil a bit and allows the plants more growing time. Be sure to give spring-planted garlic the richest possible soil as every day counts when growing in spring!

Ships late summer/early fall.

(Allium proliferum) Perhaps the most perfect onion for permaculture gardens, edible landscaping or anyone looking for a low maintenance food crop! Perennial in zones 3-9 this onion can be grown reliably in almost all U.S zones. Also known as tree onions and perennial onions, the plants produce bulbs at both the top and bottom of the plant, you can harvest and eat all parts of the plant, bottom bulbs, stems and the bulbils or mini bulbs produced at the top of the 2-3 foot stalk. The weight of the top bulbils will eventually cause the plant to flop over in Fall and take root in a new place just a few feet away, it truly “walks” across the garden over the years if you let it! Bulbs should be planted immediately upon receiving. A truly carefree perennial vegetable!

Ships late summer/early fall.

(Allium proliferum) Perhaps the most perfect onion for permaculture gardens, edible landscaping or anyone looking for a low maintenance food crop! Perennial in zones 3-9 this onion can be grown reliably in almost all U.S zones. Also known as tree onions and perennial onions, the plants produce bulbs at both the top and bottom of the plant, you can harvest and eat all parts of the plant, bottom bulbs, stems and the bulbils or mini bulbs produced at the top of the 2-3 foot stalk. The weight of the top bulbils will eventually cause the plant to flop over in Fall and take root in a new place just a few feet away, it truly “walks” across the garden over the years if you let it! Bulbs should be planted immediately upon receiving. A truly carefree perennial vegetable!

Ships late summer/early fall.

Baker Creek Seeds is honored and proud to introduce the Shirley Hammond Multiplier onion. Shirley Floyd Hammond and her daughter Stephanie Tetterton shared this gorgeous, white-skinned variety with us. The onions have been a part of Shirley’s life for more than 75 years. She remembers her parents growing them in their garden in Horry County, S.C., and when Shirley got married in 1963, her dad helped her start a garden at her new home in Finklea, S.C. She and her husband, Jimmy, grew them every year, occasionally selling extras through the local feed and seed stores in nearby Loris, S.C., and Tabor City, N.C. Shirley loves to use these onions in roasts and stews, but with their mild flavor, they’re also great raw. 

These small, white-skinned onions are so productive – a single bulb will produce a clump of 7 to 15 onions. They can be planted in spring or fall in most climates. To save bulbs for replanting, pull and allow them to cure for a few weeks in a warm, airy place, away from direct sunlight, then store them in a cool, dry place.  

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14 shallot bulbs weigh approximately 1 pound. A high-yielding, medium-sized shallot with copper-red papery skin and a pinky/purple flesh. This gourmet delicacy typically fetches high prices at market from chefs and foodies in the know! The flavor is mellow red onion with notes of garlic. It is an easy-to-grow culinary treasure that will elevate all of your recipes!